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:reitshtatta gettat- @fitta Lettera Patent No. 81,017, ma August11,1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN FARM-GATES.

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T ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. Smsnnn, of Manheim township, in thecounty'of Lancaster, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newArrangement for Operating Farm-Gates; and I do hereby declarethat thelfollowing is a full and exact description thereof,- reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specilcation, inwhich-- Figure represents the gate in position, with my improvements inplace.

Figure 2 is a separate illustration of my sliding clamp and wedge tosupport the rails or gate when hoisted up in front. f

' 'Figure 3 illustrates the combined drop and connection with thesliding latch.

Figurel 4, the slotted post for the adjustablc'latch-cateh.'

The nature of my invention consists in providing a drop-bar, soconnected with the latch, that by raising it-up itdraws the bolt orlatch back, and will drop by its own weight to push the bolt out again,asalso the loop for slippingover a wedge-piece'connected with thediagonal rail.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

The gate itself `is of the ordinary kind, swiging'freely on its' hingesto the right and left. The front and hind vertical posts A. A, or railsoi the gate, are double, with the rails 1,-2 3, 4, and 'between them,held by .pivot-bolts, upon which they move. The central upright of thegate, A', is single, on which the rails are secured by pivotbolts'. Thisc'onstitutes the gate, in` which there isno novelty.

To the rear upright, A, between the rst and second rail, I fasten, by apivot-bolt, the drop-bar B. This slides, and is coniined by a loop onthe central upright, AA. Near the forward end (which may be made heavierby adding a weight of some kind, if necessary,) I ath; by a.V pivot aconnecting-lever, C, with the sliding bolt D. This bolt rests on the topof the third rail. The cord for operatingthe bolt is double, andfastened by an eye, or otherwise, to the forward end of the drop-bar,and carried up over a pulleyy or through a loop on the upper rail, oneend of the cord carried to the right through an eye or pulley onN to thegallows-post and arm O on each side of the gate, to the desireddistance. A pull on the rope will withdraw the latch and open the gate.A similar pull on the opposite end of the rope will again close thegate, or pull it' open in the opposite direction, without the use of avertical lever and spring, as the horizontal (or nearly so) drop-bar Bfalls of its own gravity, and pushes the bolt forward so as to'latch thegate. .lhe latch-catch L is made adjustable in a slot of the post K, sothat when it-is 'desirable to raise the gate in front, to allow smallstock, such as hogsvaud sheep, to passin and out, or to raise it fromsnow or other obstruction, the catch L can be pushed up to adapt it forthe raised gate. Y

The diagonal cross-piece F is held in4 a pivot on the lower `rail 5, andconnected above by a loop with a wedge-shaped piece, G, sliding underthe upper rail I. When the gate is elevated infront, it draws the boltor wedge G' back; a movable clamp, E, around the upper rail and wedge,is pushed back as a follower, in order to clamp the wedge, and sustainthe gatein that position. This mode of clamping allows a wide range ofadjustment without weakening the top rail with holes or notches.

I am aware that a gate is patented, No. 73,016, in which an uprightlever is claimed, with a spring, clip, and latch, when arranged,combined, and operated by rope and pulley, as specified; also, adiagonal, rail,

adjusted by a pin in the upper rail of the gate, in which holes are madeto receive the pin. This arrangement and combination I disclaim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is'- The self-acting drop-bar B, connecting lever C to the latch-bolt D,in combination with the sliding wedgebar G operated by the diagonalbarF, andthe movable clamp E, all arranged and operating in the manner andfor the purpose specified.

HENRY s. sHIsLER. Witnesses WM. B. WILEY, n JACOB STAUFFER.

